Method and apparatus for removing smog and smoke

ABSTRACT

AN IMPROVED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING THE EFFLUENT OR SMOKE DISCHARGE FROM A SMOKE STACK OR INCINERATOR AND REMOVING VISIBLE SMOKE AND SUSPENDED PARTICLES BY WASHING AND FILTERING THE PRODUCTS OF BURNING INCLUDING A METHOD OF RE-CIRCULATING THE BURNED GASES FROM THE CLEANING PROCESS INTO THE CONBUSTION CHAMBER.

March 23, 1971 J. F. MERCER 3,572,264

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SMOG AND SMOKE Filed Sept. 11, 1969 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JOE F. MERCER AT ORNEY March 23, 1971 J. F.MERCER 3,572,264

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SMOG AND SMOKE Filed Sept. 11, 1969 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOE MERCER United States Patent 3,572,264 METHODAND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SMOG AND SMOKE Joe F. Mercer, 302 E. WallaceSt., Gonzales, Tex. 78629 Filed Sept. 11, 1969, Ser. No. 857,127 Int.Cl. F23g 3/00 US. Cl. 110-8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Animproved method and apparatus for receiving the eflluent or smokedischarge from a smoke stack or incinerator and removing visible smokeand suspended particles by washing and filtering the products of burningincluding a method of re-circulating the burned gases from the cleaningprocess into the combustion chamber.

Various devices have been designed for controlling the discharge fromsmoke stacks and incinerators; many of which involve complicated costlyequipment. The method and device of this invention incorporates twoembodiments which are closely related in that identical components areused; however, the structure and arrangement and method varies.

(1) The first embodiment receives the effluent or smoke from theincinerator or stack, passes the burned gases through a U-shaped washingtower, propels the gases by blower through a conduit into a washingfilter and into a discharge stack (FIG. 1).

(2) The second embodiment or method utilizes a similar combination;however, the products of burning is recycled, washed, filtered andreturned into the incinerator as disclosed in FIG. 3. This re-cyclingprocess possesses certain advantages in maintaining the discharged gasesat an elevated temperature reducing condensation in the components.

(3) In an area of abundance of water, a fresh supply of water may beused in the washing towers as well as the washing filter with run-01fdischarged into a drain or otherwise recovered or processed. If waterconservation is a problem, the fluids may be re-cycled, filtered andreused by means of a device of the type illustrated in FIG. 2.

One object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, uncomplicatedmethod and device for removing objectionable residue from a smoke stackor an incinerator discharge.

A second object is to provide the relative small, inexpensiveincinerator free of objectionable smoke embodying a re-cycling of theburning gases through the washing and filtering process in removing theobjectionable burned products from the gases.

For a detailed description and construction of various embodiments ofthe device, particular reference is made to the attached drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of one embodiment of the device partiallyfragmented and schematic.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a sub-combination of an embodiment of thedevice partially fragmented and schematic illustrating a re-cycling ofthe washing fluid employing an auxiliary fluid filter.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of an embodiment of the device partiallyfragmented and schematic illustrating a recycling of the burned gasesinto the incinerator or furnace.

The improved method and the construction of the various embodiments andtheir operations will be described in detail in which reference will bemade to the several views referred to above wherein like referencecharacters refer to identical or equivalent components through- "iceoutthe several views in the following detailed description.

The first device and method referred to incorporates a conventionalincinerator or furnace 10. Attached to the smoke stack or discharge ofthe incinerator 10 is the intake 11 of the washing tower 12. The tower12 may be constructed of a variety of types of piping or tubing. Theintake arm 13 of the washing tower 12 extends downward and into a baseleg 14 which includes a drain 15. The washing tower 12 then projectsupward through the exhaust arm 16. Projecting into the intake 13 and theexhaust arms 16 are a multiplicity of fluid spray nozzles 17. Thesenozzles 17 are similar in construction to the nozzle of a garden hose orspray gun set to atomize or fog an area. In a preferred embodiment ofthe device, improved results were obtained with an extremely fine sprayapproaching a mist or fog like discharge. The nozzles 17 are mounted onpipe or tubing 18 which is connected to an external high pressure fluidsupply (not shown). The spray nozzles 17 are mounted in the center ofthe intake 13 and the exhaust arm 16 of the washing tower 12. Nozzles 17discharge downward in the tower 12 and should be so constructed as toemit a spray filling the entire passageway in the tower 12.

Attached to the washing tower 12 is a blower intake conduit 19 whichconnects to a centrifugal blower 20 or air pump. The blower dischargeconduit 21 projects into a filter chamber 22 and discharges in the lowerarea of the filter medium 23. This filter medium 23 is supported in thefilter chamber 22 by a screen or grill 24. This structure creates afluid recess 25 in chamber 22. Positioned above the filter medium 23 isa multiplicity of filter spray nozzles 26 which are also connected by apipe or tubing 18 to an external source of high pressure fluid (notshown). The gases discharged from the filter chamber 22 are dischargedinto the atmosphere through the stack 27. The fluid from washing tower12 and the filter chamber 22 is collected through drain tubes 28 anddischarged or further processed as desired.

A cleaning and re-cycling of the fluid into the device described abovemight well be accomplished in a manner similar to the structuredisclosed in FIG. '2. The fluids from the washing tower 12 or the filterchamber 22 may be re-cycled in the system by means of drain pumps 29through drain tube 28 and the pipe 18 creating a source of high pressurefluid (not shown). Fluid discharge from the filter chamber 22 can, inthe process, be pumped into a filter bed 30. Fluid is preferably sprayedor disbursed over the cleaning medium 31 by dispensing nozzles 26.Cleaning medium 31 is preferably sand, crushed graphite ore, anthracite.The filtering of the fluid through the cleaning medium 31 will result ina reusable fluid. The filter bed 30 may be cleaned by back washing whichis well known in the art and need not be described in detail. The filterbed 30 is constructed with a discharge 32 which is connected through are-cycling tubing 33 to a re-cycling pump 34. In this re-cyclingconfiguration, the pipe or tube 18 supplying the primary system firstdescribed can be connected to the re-cycling tubing 33 or the re-cyclingpump 34 in this re-cycling embodiment of the invention.

For a description of the construction operation of the method andembodiment of the device re-cycling the gases into the combustionchamber 35 of the incinerator or furnace 10, reference is made to FIG.3. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 visualizes a relatively small,compact incinerator 10 of somewhat conventional construction including adoor 36, grate 37 and ash door 38, exhaust stack 39. Attached toincinerator 10 at the upper most extremity opposite the exhaust stack 39is the intake 11 of the Washing tower 12. This washing tower 12 isconstructed and functions exactly as previously described in theembodiment first mentioned. The exhaust arm 16 of the washing tower 12in this second embodiment in essence terminates in discharge conduit 21projecting into the filter medium 23 in the filter chamber 22. Filterspray nozzles 26 are employed above the filter medium 23. A structuresimilarly positioned to the discharge stack 27 of the first embodimentis the blower intake conduit 19. The blower intake conduit 19 isconnected to the blower 20 by an air inlet conduit 40, mounted in theair inlet conduit 40 is a slidingly adjustable air inlet door 41. Theblower 20 receives the filtered smoke or efl1uer1t from the filterchamber 22 mixed with fresh air and discharges the air and filteredeflluent mixture into the combustion chamber 35 of the incinerator 10.

In the preferred embodiment, the exhaust stack 39 was approximatelyone-half /2) the cross section of the intake 11 of the washing tower 12and the blower inlet conduit 19 and blower discharge conduit 21. Thisratio resulted in a recycling of the vast majority of the smoke, burnedgases, or efliuent prior to discharge through exhaust stack 39. Even inthe instance of burning diesel fuel in a smudge fire condition, theemissions of the exhaust stack 39 was clear.

Having described my invention in detail in two embodiments and suggestedone auxiliary modification the method and apparatus desired to beclaimed is as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of cleaning the smoke or efiluent discharge of anincinerator comprising the steps of:

(a) drawing the effluent through a washing tower,

(b) injecting an atomized fluid downward into the washing tower throughthe effluent,

(c) discharging the effluent into a filter medium in a filter chamber,

(d) propelling the efliuent upward through the filter medium in thefilter chamber,

(e) washing continuously with a fluid the efiiuent and the filter mediumin the filter chamber,

(1) mixing fresh air with the effluent,

(g) re-cycling the efliuent into the combustion chamber of theincinerator, and

(h) discharging the re-cycled effluent from the combustion chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 including the steps of:

(a) recovering the fluid from the washing tower and the filter chamber,

(b) passing the fluid through a gravity flow filter bed,

and

(c) re-cycling the fluid to the washing tower and the filter chamber.

3. An apparatus for cleaning the smoke or efiluent from an incineratorcomprising:

(a) an intake conduit adapted to receive smoke or efiluent from anincinerator,

(b) a substantially U-shaped washing tower operably connected to saidintake conduit, said washing tower comprising:

(1) an intake arm, (2) an exhaust arm paralleling said intake arm,

(3) a base leg operably connecting said intake and said exhaust arms,

(4) a drain positioned at the lower apex of the said base leg, and

(5) a multiplicity of atomizing spray nozzles adapted to discharge afluid downward in said intake and said exhaust arms;

(c) a filter chamber having a top portion and a bottom portioncomprising:

(1) a container Wall,

(2) a screen support means mounted adjacent the bottom of said filterchamber,

(3) a filter medium above and supported by said screen and extendingadjacent the top of said filter chamber,

(4) a multiplicity of spray nozzles constructed and arranged to sprayfluid over and through the said filter medium, and

(5) a fluid drain means positioned in the bottom portion of said filterchamber;

(d) a conduit connecting said washing tower and discharging into saidfilter chamber adjacent the bottom portion of said filter medium;

(e) a discharge stack means adjacent the top of said filter chamber; and

(f) a blower means operably positioned in the combination adapted tomove smoke or efi'luent through the components of the combination.

4. The invention of claim 3 including fluid re-cycling means comprising:

(a) a drain tube means operably connected to the drain in the base legof the washing tower and the fiuid drain means in the said filterchamber,

(b) a drain pump operably positioned in said drain tube means adapted topropel the fluid through the said drain tube means,

(c) a filter bed adapted to receive a fluid discharge from said drainpump,

(d) a cleaning medium in said filter bed of suflicient depth and qualityto clean said fluid,

(e) a filter discharge positioned in the bottom of said filter bed,

(f) a re-cycling tube operably connected to said filter discharge, and

(g) a re-cycling pump adapted to receive and propel a fluid from saidre-cycling tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,010,068 11/1911 Pavella 261-173,155,472 11/1964 Huppke 233 3,210,914 10/1965 Eckert 26198 3,353,33611/1967 Caballero 55244 3,485,015 12/1969 Vecchio 55234 KENNETH W.SPRAGUE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 1 19

